2020 Nissan Kicks vs. 2020 Kia Soul: Which Is Best?

2020 Kia Soul Red Front Three Quarter ・ Photo by Kia

Practical, efficient, and affordable, the 2020 Kia Soul and 2020 Nissan Kicks perfectly represent the modern-day entry-level vehicle. Sitting high off the ground and offering plenty of flexible utility, they’re pitched to the public as crossover SUVs. But without an optional all-wheel drive system, they’re more like the five-door hatchbacks people used to buy when choosing basic transportation.

Perhaps because they’ve got plenty of personality and practicality, each is available in specification levels ranging from basic to premium, and the Kia even comes in both turbocharged and electric variants. But which of these perky commuter vessels is best? Let’s take a closer look.

Styling and Design

By now, the Kia Soul is unmistakable for anything else. Redesigned for 2020, it retains its familiar floating flattop roofline and vertical taillights but gains a more aggressive face reminiscent of Disney Pixar’s “Cars” characters. This year, in addition to the standard styling, Kia offers sporty GT-Line, rugged X-Line, and sophisticated Designer Collection design themes for greater personalization. Two-tone paint schemes are also available.

Introduced for 2018, the Nissan Kicks replaced the funky Juke. Larger and more practical than the Juke, and not quite as polarizing in terms of its appearance, the Kicks has a jaunty, angular, good-natured appearance that its whimsically youthful buyers can option with two-tone paint. Still, Nissan doesn’t offer as much variety as Kia does, limiting choice. Overall, while neither car is classically attractive, both exude personality. Thanks in part to the greater range of choice, we think Kia deserves the nod in this category.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

Comfort and Cargo

With either of these vehicles, entry and exit are easier than a comparable car because they sit up higher. This is especially true of the Kia Soul, which offers a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Once you’re in, the Soul provides a commanding driving position and, in higher trims, soft-touch surfaces where you want them. Rear passengers are also relatively comfortable, but the front passenger will be wishing for a seat-height adjuster. The Soul is equipped with dark tinted privacy glass, helping to keep the cabin cooler on hot days.

The Nissan Kicks is equally roomy, but unlike the Soul, it doesn’t come with privacy glass. Our test vehicle, equipped with optional leatherette seating, was like an oven on a sweaty summer day. Where the Kicks beats the Soul is with regard to trunk space. It has a usefully shaped trunk with a greater amount of volume. Fold the back seats down, however, and the Kia reigns supreme, offering far more maximum space based on official manufacturer estimates.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

Infotainment

In order to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in a Nissan Kicks, you need to upgrade to the SV trim level. And if you want navigation, you’re out of luck. So ask Siri. Nissan does, however, install a great-sounding Bose Personal Plus Sound System with head restraint speakers in the Kicks SR. Too bad it’s part of the option package that also wraps the seats in simulated leather.

Meanwhile, Kia hits an infotainment system home run with the Soul. Apple and Android smartphone integration are standard, and you can get a 10.25-inch widescreen display, navigation, and connected services including 911 Assist and configurable safe teen driving settings. Plus, the Soul’s available 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is just as good as what you’d get in a luxury car.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

Safety and Technology

Compared to what’s available for the Kia Soul, the Nissan Kicks has a limited number of advanced driving assistance systems. With both cars, you must upgrade at least one trim level in order to access them. Once you do, the Kia Soul’s exclusive features include a driver monitoring system, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and automatic rear emergency braking. Pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control are also available for the Soul.

Nissan does provide two useful – and exclusive – features for the Kicks. One is an Easy Fill Tire Alert that makes it a snap to maintain proper tire pressures. The second is a top-down surround-view camera system. Kia, meanwhile, offers comprehensive connected services for the Soul, including important safety functions. Both cars perform well in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash testing. However, the Kia’s results are just a little bit better than the Nissan’s.

Photo by Kia

Power and Performance

For whatever reason, Nissan thought it was a good idea to give the sporty-looking Kicks a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making a meager 122 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque. Despite what is a decent continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Kicks struggles to get up to speed. And that’s with just a driver aboard. Add friends and cargo, and the Kicks could prove dangerously slow.

The Soul weighs 205 pounds more than the Kicks, but it also comes standard with a larger and more powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder whipping up 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Like the Kicks, it is paired with a CVT, this one engineered with adaptive logic designed to make the vehicle feel more lively and responsive. You can also improve the Soul's acceleration in one of three ways. You can get the ultra-affordable LX trim with a manual transmission. Or, you can choose the 201-hp Soul GT-Line Turbo. The upcoming, all-electric Soul EV will also be plenty speedy. The latter choices, however, are costly solutions.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

Fuel Economy

Every Nissan Kicks is rated to get 33 mpg in combined driving, according to the EPA. The gas-powered Soul's widely varied powertrains range from 27 mpg to 31 mpg in combined driving. Out in the real world, my Kicks SR test vehicle returned 30.9 mpg, falling short of its 33-mpg rating. My Soul GT-Line Turbo test vehicle got 26.3 mpg, missing its official rating of 29 mpg.

Obviously, the Kicks is more efficient, and it also came closer to getting the fuel economy number on the window sticker. But it sure isn’t close to being as fun to drive.

Nissan Kicks

Photo by Nissan

Driving Dynamics

Though Nissan’s brake-induced torque vectoring and ride management technologies aim to make the Kicks enjoyable to drive, this car’s vague steering, flinty torsion-beam rear suspension, and grabby front-disc, rear-drum brakes are genuine bummers. Combine these characteristics with the underpowered engine and droning CVT, and the Kicks is a drag to drive everywhere but in densely urban situations.

Compared to the Kicks, the Soul feels more solid, secure, and sophisticated. It does have a choppier ride, due in part to its own use of a solid rear axle suspension, but at the same time, the Kia is better isolated from the road. And aside from its quirky dual-clutch automatic transmission, the GT-Line Turbo is a real thrill ride. Given a choice between the two, we’d take the Kia every single time.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

Value

When equipped with its optional CVT, the Soul LX ($20,035) is more expensive than a Kicks S ($19,685 for the 2019 model year). However, the Kia’s superior sophistication, combined with its industry-leading warranty and roadside assistance coverage, makes it the better value.

Beyond this, the Kia also offers buyers more choice. It has a longer list of available equipment, more ways to customize the car’s appearance, and several powertrain options. Although Nissan also offers personalization options, the Nissan still pales in comparison.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia

The Verdict

If you’re shopping for an affordable car with lots of personality, the Kia Soul and Nissan Kicks are probably on your shopping list.

Between the two, the Kia Soul is the superior vehicle. It boasts more modern engineering and technology, offers more ways to configure the car to personal preferences, and is better to drive. Plus, you’ll enjoy greater peace of mind for a longer period of time thanks to Kia’s killer warranty.

Kia Soul

Photo by Kia